Spring cushion



A. L. CUCUEL Dec. 4, 1934.

SPRING CUSHION Filed May 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 4, 1934.

A. L.. CUCUEL SPRING CUSHION Filed May 2B, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my?..CM

Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SPRING CUSHION Arthur L. Cucuel,Bristol, Conn., assignor, by

' mesne'assignments, to Cantilever Seat Company, Incorporated,Wallingford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 2s,l1932, serial` No. 614,150

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in spring cushions and relatesmore particularly vtospring means for cushioned seats such as areemployed in automobiles, davenports, and in Various other kinds offurniture, and over which a suitable cushion covering may be employed.

Y An object of my invention is to provide a spring cushion of the abovementioned character in which the spring members are of simple andinexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a spring member by means of which asubstantially uniform degree of resiliency is obtained throughout theentire seating area of the cushion.

These and other objects may be more readily understood by reference tothe following. detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional View of a spring cushion constructedinaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View thereof taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the partsin the position which they assume when the weight is substantiallyevenly distributed upon the cushion;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when weightis applied mainly toward the front of the cushion; Fig. 5 is a similarview showing the position of the parts when weight is applied mainlytoward the rear of the cushion; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional 'view corre'- sponding to Fig. 1 butksho-wing a modified arrangement of the spring members.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein chosen forillustration in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, I employ a plurality ofspring-members corresponding to each other and each of which isgenerally designated by the numeral 10, and which are arranged side byside as will be more fully apparent from Fig. 2 of the drawings. Each ofthe said spring-members presents a substan- :ially U-shaped form whenviewed either from the top or side, and consists of a pair ofcomplementary upwardly-bowed parallel upper-reaches 11 connectedtogether at their rear ends by an integral cross-reach 12 and eachmerging at its forward end into a loop or helical coil 13 which hascapacity for bodily vertical movement and for that reason may becharacterized as a floating loop, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Complementing the upper-reaches 11 of each spring-member and of a lengthsubstantially equal thereto is'a pair of complementary downwardly-bowedloweror base-reaches 14 which merge 'attheir forward ends into therespective floating loops 13 of the spring-member, and at their extremevrear ends are reversely bent 1n a horizontal plane as at 15 to provideconvenient means for anchoring the spring-members to the rear bar 16 ofa rectangular frame or supporting-member 41'7. For the purpose ofanchoring the spring-members in place, I employ a clamping-bar 18 whichoverlies the reversely-bent portions 15 of the respective lower-reachesof the series of spring-members and in turn is secured to the bar 16 ofthe said frame A17 by means of screws 19 or other suitable means.

It will be noted that the lower-reaches 14 of the spring-members arefree throughout their main extent for vertical flexing to enable theloops 13 to virtually float in a vertical plane.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, it will be seen byreference to that gure that the spring-members are graduated in size andthat the respective cross-reaches 412v Ithereof are 'of differentlengths. The cross-reach 12 of the largestl spring-member extendssubstantially from one`side edge to the other of the frame 17. Eachv ofthe remaining spring-members', ofl which three are shown in Fig. 6, isnested within its next larger complementary spring-member. This latterarrangement is accomplished by progressively differentiating thecross-'reach 12 of each of the respective spring-members. The respectivebasereaohes of each of the spring-members, as shown in Figr,arefsecure-cl in place in the saine manner as are the base-reaches ofthe spring-members of the preceding figures, and are free throughouttheir main extent for vertical flexing.

In the foregoing arrangement, the individual spring-members may, ifdesired, possess different degrees of resiliency to compensate for theirdifference in size.)

An inner covering 20 of flexible material is securedto the side', frontand rear edges of the frame 1'7 and encloses all of the spring-membersmounted thereon. Preferably, also, the under face of the said frame 17is closed against the ingress of dust, etc., by a bottom covering 21.

A pad or cushion 22 is placed upon the upper surface of the innercovering 2) above the springmembers to shield the latter. Over the saidpad, as well as over the said covering 20, is applied an outer covering23 of leather or other suitable flexible material. The respective loweredges of the inner covering 20 and the outer covering 23 may be securedin place to the outer edge of the frame 17 in any approved manner, such,for instance, as by a series of nails or tacks 24.

For a better understanding of my present invention, it may be herestated that the same constitutes an improvement over the spring cushionshown in United States Patent No, 1,369,441, granted February 22, 1921,to one H. Josephson.

The spring cushion shown in the Josephson patent above referred to isone with which I am familiar and which `possesses marked defects whichit is one of my present objects to overcome. The major defect inherentin the J osephson structure resides in the fact that in such a structurethe cushion is relatively rigid, especially at its edge.

In my present invention, I have provided a spring cushion which isfreely yielding at both its front and rear edges and at any pointintermediate said edges. plished mainly through the fact that instead ofproviding stationary and more or less rigid loops or coils, thespring-members of my improved spring cushion are so constructed andproportioned that a floating loop, which may have bodily movement in asubstantially vertical plane, is provided.

In Fig, 1 of the drawings, the spring-members are shown as in theirnormal positions and with the side edges of both the inner and outercoverings20 and 23 drawn taut. If, now, weight is applied to the cushionsubstantially uniformly upon the upper surface thereof, the base-reaches14 of the respective spring-members will flex downwardly, as will alsothe upper-reaches 11 thereof. The yielding character of the basereaches14, which are of substantially equal length as compared with theupper-reaches 1l, permits the respective coils or loops 13 tobodily movevertically.

If, on the other hand, weight is applied mainly to the forward edge ofthe cushion, the basereaches 14 of the respective spring-members willflex downwardly and permit the floatingloops or coils 13 to move bodilydownward also, as shown in Fig. 4.

Should for any reason the major portion of the weight be applied to therear end of the cushion, as shown in Fig. 5, the loo-ps or coils 13 willremain substantially stationary, while the rear end of the respectiveupper-reaches 1l will be marked flexed downward, with the further effectof increasing the initially-bowed form of the base-reaches 14.

By so organizing the parts that the loops have a floating" character andare free to move vertically, I have succeeded in producing a springcushion, both of the edges of which are resilient, as is also thecentral area thereof.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention mayassume varied physical forms without departing from my inventiveconcept, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the specic embodimentsherein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

This latter result is accom- Y 1. A spring cushion comprising: asupportingframe having opposite portions respectively eX- tending alongopposite, outside, lower edges of the cushion; a plurality ofspring-members each having an upper-reach and a complementarylower-reach joined together at one end by a vertically-floating loopnormally `freely spaced a substantial distance above and overlying oneof said opposite portions; the end of the said lowerreach opposite thesaid loop being anchored to the other of said opposite portions, and themain extent of the lower-reach being normally free for vertical downwardflexing to permit tie said loop to bodily move downward.

2. A spring cushion comprising: a supportingframe having oppositeportions respectively extending along opposite, outside, lower front andrear edges of the cushion; a plurality of springmembers each having anupper-reach and a complementary lower-reach joined together at one endby a vertically-floating loop normally freely spaced a substantialdistance above and overlying the portion along the front edge of thecushion; the end of the said lower-reach opposite the said loop beinganchored to the portion along the rear edge of the cushion, and the mainextent of the lower-reach being normally free for vertical downwardflexing to permit the said loop to bodily move downward.

3. A spring cushion comprising: a supportingframe having oppositeportions respectively extending along opposite, outside, lower edges ofthe cushion; a plurality of spring-nembers each having a pair ofupper-reaches connected together at one end by a cross-reach, and acomplementary pair of lower-reaches joined to the other end of theupper-reaches by a pair of vertically-floating loops normally freelyspaced a substantial distance above and overlying one of said oppositeportions; the end of the said lowerreaches opposite the said loops beinganchored to the other of said opposite portions, and the main extent ofthe lower-reaches being normally free for vertical downward exing topermit the said loops to bodily move downward= 4. A spring cushioncomprising: a supportingframe having opposite portions respectivelyextending along opposite, outside, lower` front and rear edges of thecushion; a plurality of springmembers each having a pair ofupper-reaches connected together at one end by a cross-reach, and acomplementary pair of lower-reaches joined to the other end of theupper-reaches by a pair of vertically-oatingloops normally freely spaceda substantial distance above and overlying the portion along'the frontedge of the cushion; the end of the said lower-reaches opposite the saidloops being anchored to the portion-along the rear edge of the cushion,and the main extent of the lower-reaches being normally free forvertical downward flexing to permit the said loops to bodily movedownward.

ARTHUR L. CUCUEL.

